Veterans are using cards to provide a fun, relaxed way of extending workouts

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Lamarcus Joyner and Rashad Greene were having great strenuous workouts when the summer began. But something about the training sessions felt inadequate.

Both Florida State players were feeling unsatisfied.

They thought they were pushing themselves. They knew they were working hard. Sore muscles and aching post-workout joints were clear signs that something was indeed going correctly. Sweat-soaked clothes were another indication, in their eyes, that every exercise and every lift was making them better for the upcoming season.

But still, none of it was enough.

"One day while working out, it was just like, 'We need more, we need more,' " said Joyner, FSU's senior starting cornerback.

It turns out all they really needed was a deck of cards.

A game, and an offeseason challenge, was born.

This summer, Greene — the Seminoles' 6-foot-tall junior receiver — has been trying to gain more than 15 pounds of muscle. Since the middle of June, he and Joyner have gone to distinctive lengths in order to make that happen and to allow both to feel bigger, stronger and more comfortable in taking punishing blows to their bodies.

"It's just getting myself where I need to be," Greene said. "So far, it's been working in my favor."

After playing between 168-172 pounds as FSU's leading receiver as a sophomore last fall, Greene has gotten himself up to 180 pounds. He wants to add five more. At the ACC Kickoff that began Sunday, he showed significant increased size in his chest and shoulders. The once-slender wideout has bulked up slightly.

Where have his gains come from? From the minutes and hours following his already extended full-team workout session led by head strength and conditioning coach Vic Viloria.

Long after most of the rest of their FSU teammates already have headed for the showers to enjoy the rest of their post-workout days, Greene and his fellow former St. Thomas Aquinas standout, Joyner, have still been in the weight room continuing to train.

"We just couldn't be average," Joyner said.

Neither could their extra sessions. In an effort to spice up the added minutes of workout time, they started thinking of ways to make them more enjoyable.

One night last month, it just came to Joyner: When in doubt, be like workout warrior Ray Lewis.

"I remember doing the same old exercises and I just remember [recently retired NFL linebacker] Ray Lewis saying something about cards," said Joyner, who returns after flirting with the NFL in January. "You're always looking for an edge to get better."

The Lewis-created card trick that had inspired Joyner came in the form of a game. He called Greene to tell him about the epiphany.

Take a deck of 52 cards and shuffle them up. Award various exercises to the four card suits (i.e., push-ups for clubs, jumping jacks for spades, crunches for hearts and squats for diamonds). Then, pull a card. For whatever suit the number on the card corresponds with, the person has to do that many repetitions of the exercise.

So if Greene pulled a 2 of diamonds, he would have to do two squats. If he pulled an 8 of clubs, he had to do eight pushups. Kings, queens and jokers equated to 10 repetitions. Ace cards meant 15.

"You're crazy," Greene first told Joyner when he described the game.

As crazy as the idea might have sounded, Greene learned a long time ago that he ought to trust his slightly older teammate.

"He's a great friend," Greene said. "He wants the same thing. He always wants to get better. We have the same mindset where he wants to get better. And if anybody else wants to come in and join us, we've let them."

Within a week, the pair had added the card trick to their post-workout routine. In time, intrigued teammates, namely defensive backs Tyler Hunter and Nick Waisome and freshman receiver Jesus Wilson, wanted in too.

"It's got to be something that we have to do if we want to be great," Joyner said. "We're just trying to build a dynasty around there."